System and method for transmitting messages to a wireless communication device

• US 8,103,253 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2005
• Issued: 01/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gatzke, Alan D., Belcher, Aaron J., Chestnut, Kevin L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Steven
• Application Number:
  US11/234,419
• Publication Number:
  US 20070066284A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,315 Days
• Field of Search: 455412-413
• US Class Current: 455/413
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53333 Message receiving aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5335 Message type or catagory, e.g. priority, indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/537 Arrangements for indicating the presence of a recorded message , whereby the presence information might include a preview or summary of the message

Abstract

In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a method for communicating information to a user includes transmitting a plurality of indicator messages to a communication device associated with a particular user, each indicator message associated with an audio message for the user. The method also includes receiving, from the communication device, information indicating an order for two or more of the audio messages. Additionally, the method includes transmitting the audio messages to the communication device in the order indicated by the information indicating the order.

Claims

1. A method for communicating information to a user, comprising:

transmitting a first indicator message to a communication device associated with a particular user, the first indicator message indicating receipt of a first audio message for the user;

after transmitting the first indicator message, transmitting a second indicator message to the communication device, the second indicator message indicating receipt of a second audio message for the user;

receiving, from the communication device, a first playback request requesting playback of the second audio message;

in response to receiving the first playback request, storing audio data associated with the second audio message in a queue in electronic memory;

receiving, from the communication device, a second playback request requesting playback of the first audio message while transmitting audio data associated with the second audio message to the communication device from the queue;

in response to receiving the second playback request, storing audio data associated with the first audio message in the queue while concurrently transmitting audio data associated with the second audio message to the communication device from the queue; and

after completing transmission of the audio data associated with the second audio message to the communication device, transmitting audio data associated with the first audio message to the communication device from the queue.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the first and second audio messages in a plurality of storage locations in electronic memory in an order selected by the user, the first and second audio messages stored by storing the first audio message in the queue and then storing the second audio message in the queue after the first audio message, the second audio message selected by the user after the first audio message.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

transmitting the first and second indicator messages to the communication device comprises transmitting the first and second indicator messages to the communication device over a first network; and

transmitting the audio data associated with the first and second audio messages to the communication device comprises transmitting the audio data associated with the first and second audio messages to the communication device over a second network.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first network supports communication in accordance with a packet-based communication protocol and wherein the second network supports communication in accordance with a circuit-switched communication protocol.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the first and second audio messages to the communication device comprises:

initiating a voice communication session with the communication device; and

transmitting the first and second audio messages to the communication device as part of the voice communication session.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the first and second indicator messages comprises:

receiving, from a voicemail server, the first and second indicator messages, each indicator message indicating the voicemail server has recorded an audio message for the user; and

adding information identifying a storage location associated with the audio message.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein adding information identifying the storage location comprises adding a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) associated with the audio message.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the first and second indicator messages comprises:

receiving, from a voicemail server, the first and second indicator messages, each indicator message indicating the voicemail server has recorded an audio message for the user; and

adding a message identifier associated with the audio message and a communication address associated with the communication device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the first and second audio messages to the communication device comprises:

initiating a communication session with the communication device based on a communication address; and

transmitting the first and second audio messages to the communication device as part of the communication session.

10. A device for communicating information to a user, comprising:

a memory operable to store processor instructions; and

a processor operable to;

transmit a first indicator message to a communication device associated with a particular user, the first indicator message indicating receipt of a first audio message for the user;

after transmitting the first indicator message, transmit a second indicator message to the communication device, the second indicator message indicating receipt of a second audio message for the user;

receive, from the communication device, a first playback request requesting playback of the second audio message;

in response to receiving the first playback request, store audio data associated with the second audio message in a queue;

receive, from the communication device, a second playback request requesting playback of the first audio message while transmitting audio data associated with the second audio message to the communication device from the queue;

in response to receiving the second playback request, store audio data associated with the first audio message in the queue while concurrently transmitting audio data associated with the second audio message to the communication device from the queue; and

after completing transmission of the audio data associated with the second audio message to the communication device, transmit audio data associated with the first audio message to the communication device from the queue.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the processor is operable to:

store the first and second audio messages in a plurality of storage locations in an order selected by the user, the first and second audio messages stored by storing the first audio message and then storing the second audio message after the first audio message, the second audio message selected by the user after the first audio message.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the processor is operable to:

transmit the first and second indicator messages to the communication device by transmitting the first and second indicator messages to the communication device over a first network, and

transmit the audio data associated with the first and second audio messages to the communication device by transmitting the audio data associated with the first and second audio messages to the communication device over a second network.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the first network supports communication in accordance with a packet-based communication protocol and wherein the second network supports communication in accordance with a circuit-switched communication protocol.

14. The device of claim 10, wherein the processor is operable to transmit the first and second audio messages to the communication device by:

initiating a voice communication session with the communication device; and

transmitting the first and second audio messages to the communication device as part of the voice communication session.

15. The device of claim 10, wherein the processor is operable to transmit the first and second indicator messages by:

receiving, from a voicemail server, the first and second indicator messages, each indicator message indicating the voicemail server has recorded an audio message for the user; and

adding information identifying a storage location associated with the audio message.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the processor is operable to add information identifying the storage location by adding a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) associated with the audio message.

17. The device of claim 10, wherein the processor is operable to transmit the first and second indicator messages by:

receiving, from a voicemail server, the first and second indicator messages, each indicator message indicating the voicemail server has recorded an audio message for the user; and

adding a message identifier associated with the audio message and a communication address associated with the communication device.

18. The device of claim 10, wherein the processor is operable to transmit the first and second audio messages to the communication device by:

initiating a communication session with the communication device based on a communication address; and

transmitting the first and second audio messages to the communication device as part of the communication session.

19. One or more non-transitory computer readable media storing code, when executed by one or more processors, operable to:

transmit a first indicator message to a communication device associated with a particular user, the first indicator message indicating receipt of a first audio message for the user;

after transmitting the first indicator message, transmit a second indicator message to the communication device, the second indicator message indicating receipt of a second audio message for the user;

receive, from the communication device, a first playback request requesting playback of the second audio message;

in response to receiving the first playback request, store audio data associated with the second audio message in a queue in electronic memory;

receive, from the communication device, a second playback request requesting playback of the first audio message while transmitting audio data associated with the second audio message to the communication device from the queue;

in response to receiving the second playback request, store audio data associated with the first audio message in the queue while concurrently transmitting audio data associated with the second audio message to the communication device from the queue; and

after completing transmission of the audio data associated with the second audio message to the communication device, transmit audio data associated with the first audio message to the communication device from the queue.

20. The media of claim 19, the code operable to transmit the first and second indicator messages by:

receiving, from a voicemail server, the first and second indicator messages, each indicator message indicating the voicemail server has recorded an audio message for the user; and

adding information identifying a storage location associated with the audio message.

21. The media of claim 19, the code operable to transmit the first and second indicator messages by:

receiving, from a voicemail server, the first and second indicator messages, each indicator message indicating the voicemail server has recorded an audio message for the user; and

adding a message identifier associated with the audio message and a communication address associated with the communication device.